


Lost Boy

by timehasa_way



Series: Lost Boy verse [1]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Amnesia, Barebacking, Blow Jobs, Bottom Jared Padalecki, Hurt Jared Padalecki, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Inspired by a Movie, M/M, Minor Violence, Past Relationship(s), Top Jensen Ackles, Wing Kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:35:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23718313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timehasa_way/pseuds/timehasa_way
Summary: Inspired by the movie Hook. Jensen is enjoying life as a celebrity model until a winged visitor named Jared shows up in his house one night, insisting that he remember something about a place called Neverland. At first, Jensen thinks Jared's visit might be some drugged hallucination, but after being taken to Neverland, he begins to remember a family and a love that he left behind. Once he has his memories back, reconnects with his Lost Boys, and faces Hook and the pirates, Jensen has to decide where his true home really is.
Relationships: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki
Series: Lost Boy verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1885159
Comments: 11
Kudos: 61





	Lost Boy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Windstorms](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Windstorms/gifts).



> THANK YOU to windstorms for being the best beta and not letting me half-ass the ending when I got tired and lazy about it. Definitely wouldn't have finished this the right way without you! <3

It’s not so much the noise that wakes Jensen in the middle of the night, but the dry mouth. He doesn’t get hangovers much, for the amount that he still parties like a rockstar model, which he is. But his body still tends to prevent him from sleeping through the night without properly hydrating. He groans, still a little buzzed, if he’s honest, and when he flops onto his back from his side and his arm splays out, he realizes his most recent catch has already split. _Good_ , Jensen thinks, _Spare me the awkward small talk in the morning._ But he smiles at the memory, a good night indeed, stretching his limbs and feeling whatever’s still in his system and the relaxation from getting a good fuck _out_ of his system. He can’t complain, really. He’s got a pretty sweet life. 

Jensen rolls onto his stomach and stretches one more time under his silk sheets, feeling the length of his spine as he does, tensing and relaxing. He sighs and then crawls out of bed. He’s not entirely sure why he bothers to slip his boxers back on, though he supposes the house is a tad chilly. He tends to put the air down a bit more when he’s planning on sweating the night away. 

He heads down the stairs, aiming for the kitchen. He’s thirsty as all hell, and all he can think about is water, until he hears it - Someone else is in his kitchen. He hears cabinets opening and closing, the fridge opening. As he gets closer, he can see the light from the fridge, the rest of the house dark, and he groans internally. Apparently, his guest _hasn’t_ left. _Oh, well_ , Jensen thinks, _Guess we both need something to help us get through the night._ But as he shuffles closer, silent on bare feet, he catches a glimpse of the person in the fridge light, and he stops cold, a chill running down his spine.

This isn’t the person he just slept with. _Is it?_ he thinks. He hasn’t been so under the influence that he can’t remember who was in his bed for a _long_ time. He prides himself on how well he can keep it together with how much he can handle. But, for starters, he’s pretty sure he’d remember the person he brought home being a _giant_ . Jensen’s a tall guy himself, and this guy has some inches on him, _and_ some muscle, which Jensen can see, because this guy is rather inexplicably shirtless. And he’s wearing... _tights_?

Jensen watches dumbly as this stranger looks through his fridge, poking at different items - pulling out a block of cheese, sniffing it, making a face and putting it back; grabbing an apple, taking a bite, and tossing it aside; grabbing a beer, twisting it open, taking a sip and gagging. This is...bizarre. Jensen’s pretty sure that anybody breaking in intending harm or theft wouldn’t be wasting time in his fridge. _Or_ walking around in yellow-green tights and no shirt. He suddenly wonders if this is someone his guest tonight invited over, which annoys him. This is _his_ house, and he doesn’t engage in threesomes without prior notice.

“Can I help you?” Jensen rasps, throat still frustratingly dry. 

The man pauses with the bottle of beer still in his hand, slowly lowering it back into the fridge. There’s an odd shimmer behind the man that Jensen blames on a trick of the light as the guy turns to face him. 

“You mind telling me what you’re doing in my home?” Jensen asks, crossing his arms over his own bare chest. He’s still a little uneasy, but now that the guy is facing him directly, Jensen can appreciate the idea of a threesome. He expects the guy to say something, to tell him that he was invited here in the middle of the night for some fun, but instead the guy just closes the fridge and steps towards him, moonlight from a nearby window crossing his face. Jensen takes a step back and lowers his arms, suddenly feeling tense. The silence is odd. 

“Jensen?” the man asks, and the tone and expression have some odd sense of recognition to them. 

Jensen pauses, taking a moment to study the man in front of him. _Shit_ , he thinks, _Did I forget this one?_ He tries his hardest to place the features, but he just can’t. “I’m sorry,” he says, hoping the reaction to his question won’t be _too_ catastrophic, “Have we met?”

There’s a shimmer behind the man again, and he looks wounded. More than wounded, he looks _gutted_ , and Jensen feels awful. He’d thought he’d had himself under control. 

“The Lost Boys were right. You really have forgotten.”

“I’m sorry,” Jensen says again, as his mind races to place who the fuck the Lost Boys are and when he got into this mess. He tries to think back to the clubs he’s been in lately, the entertainers who’ve been there, but the name doesn’t ring a bell. Then he thinks of something else. “How did you get in?” 

“I flew in,” the man answers, as if that answer makes any sense. “Your bathroom window was unlocked.” He moves a little closer, squinting as he scrutinizes Jensen. “You got old.”

“ _Excuse_ me?” Jensen steps back, immediately offended. He _knows_ he’s been aging gracefully, because he’s been _told_ that numerous times every day, his face plastered everywhere as one of the top models. Besides, this guy doesn’t seem much younger than him. 

“You grew up,” the guy says, moving off to look over the things in Jensen’s living room. “You made us all grow up.” 

“Who _are_ you?” Jensen asks, getting angrier by the minute at the _audacity_ , and more and more frustrated that he can’t remember the alleged history between them. 

“Jared,” is the response, and the tone is bitter, like he hates having to _tell_ Jensen. It’s fairly dark, but Jared still peers at the magazines on the coffee table with Jensen on the cover, the photos of Jensen posing with other men, some shirtless, some close. He stiffens and doesn’t quite look Jensen in the eye. “Who are _they_?” 

“I’m a model,” Jensen says, crossing his arms again, “And I’m unattached. Rule number one is always to not get jealous.” If this guy Jared _is_ here for some fun, he’s got to realize that is just that - fun. Maybe this says more about Jensen than it does this guy, but being invited into Jensen’s bedroom doesn’t necessarily make someone _special_.

Jared bristles, fists clenching, and for a moment, Jensen regrets being so flippant. Then he sees that weird shimmer again, just on Jared’s shoulder blades. He realizes that this time, the shimmer is _red_ , and _then_ he realizes that the shimmer is _wings_. 

“Oh, Jesus Christ, what did I take tonight?” Jensen breathes, rubbing a hand over his face. “I need some water, make yourself at home. Not that you haven’t already.” He moves off back towards the kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it with water, but he’s getting nervous now, and he eyes the nearby kitchen knives, wondering if he should prepare to defend himself. 

“You okay?” Jared asks from behind him, and Jensen flinches, then chuckles awkwardly. 

“Yeah, sure, just hallucinating. You know how it is, right?” He turns to face Jared and tries to seem relaxed, leaning back against the kitchen counter. “I just need to hydrate. For a second there, I thought you had _wings_.”

Jared raises a brow. There’s a soft sound, like a flutter, and shimmery wings spread out from Jared’s back, still tinged slightly red. “You mean these?”

Jensen sputters and nearly drops his glass. “Wh-What are those? Where… How do they attach? Why are you _dressed_ like this? What the _fuck_ is happening?!”

“They’re real,” Jared says, rolling his eyes. “And I’m a fairy. Which you would remember if you hadn’t _grown up_.” 

“HA...ha,” Jensen barks out a laugh and suddenly feels like he can’t breathe. How fucked up did he get tonight? He tilts his head as he takes in Jared’s wings again, noting that they barely poke out from behind his shoulders. “They’re so...small. You can really fly with those? I mean, _you’re_ not...small.” 

Jared’s wings flash bright red again, and they flutter, red dust falling to the floor and vanishing. His expression mirrors the angry red of his wings, and Jensen holds up his free hand. 

“Whoa, okay, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize…”

The wings darken and fall back behind Jared’s shoulders, drooping, along with the set line of Jared’s mouth. “I won’t be able to fly with them for much longer if you don’t remember.”

“Okay.” Jensen sets his glass down on the kitchen counter and pushes both of his hands through his hair. “I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I think if you just give me your number, head on home, let me sleep this off, and I’ll call you in the morning, we can figure this all out, okay?” 

“No, I need you to come with me,” Jared says, stepping forward, and Jensen feels another chill down his spine. Is he about to be kidnapped? 

“Come with you where?” Jensen asks, glancing over at the knives again. 

“Back to Neverland,” Jared answers, moving closer, and Jensen pauses, confused. 

“The… The ranch? Because I don’t think that’s an option.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jared says, and Jensen nearly breaks into hysterics at that, considering Jared’s been talking nonsense to him this _entire_ time. But then, before Jensen can dive for the knives, Jared’s tiny wings expand and flap, and Jared fucking _levitates_ in front of him. His wings glow, multicolor, indescribable, and Jensen can’t help the thought passing through his brain that they would be beautiful if they were larger. They flap again, and the dust falls over Jensen. He blinks as it floats near his eyes, swats at it with his hands, and then… Then his feet are off the floor. 

It’s been a long time since he fully _passed out_ from partying too hard, but Jensen might pass out now. 

“Jared, what the _fuck_?!” 

“Calm down,” Jared admonishes, and Jensen couldn’t be more annoyed with his hallucination telling him to calm down. “Just take my hand.” 

Jared’s fingers lace with his, and they make their way out the bathroom window, with Jensen making a mental note to lock that fucking thing whenever he wakes up from whatever the hell this is. He nearly vomits as they rise above the house.

“Jared, I’m pretty sure humans can’t just, like, _be_ at certain altitudes, or whatever.”

“Shut up.” Jensen would punch this guy, if he wasn’t on such a bad trip. “They can with magic. You’re not getting colder up here, are you?”

“No,” Jensen says with wonder, but then he supposes you can survive anything, if it isn’t actually _real_. 

“Good. Just relax.” Jared flutters a wing and blows some dust over Jensen again, making Jensen feel oddly calm. Jensen almost feels like he’s high...again. Like, more than before he went to sleep. He wonders if he’s actually been _drugged_ , and not in a fun way, but he also can’t quite bring himself to care. He almost giggles at the thought that maybe it’s actually _magic_. “We’ll be there soon. Second star to the right.” 

****

At some point, Jensen must have fallen asleep. Well, _more_ asleep, to where he stopped hallucinating and dreaming, because he can feel himself waking up now, much more well-rested. But something feels strange. He rolls over and both hears and feels a crunch, and his eyes pop open. 

He’s outside. He’s staring up at tree branches and sky, and he’s laying on leaves and branches. Great. Now he’s a sleepwalker. What next?

“Feeling better?”

Jensen shoots up to a sitting position and turns towards the voice. Jared is sitting back against a tree, hands behind his head, smirking at Jensen. 

“You’re not real,” Jensen blurts out, and Jared’s smirk fades. His wings flicker gray for a second, and Jensen swears they seem even _smaller_ now. “What is this? Where are we?”

“Neverland,” Jared answers, arms dropping to his sides. “We didn’t quite make it back to camp. You passed out, and I got tired. I might still have some magic, but my wings still aren’t what they used to be. We’re lucky I dragged you back this far.” 

“You mean you _kidnapped_ me,” Jensen growls, and he still can’t believe he’s even saying it. 

Jared snorts. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Jensen, but you’re not a kid anymore.”

“So you’ve mentioned.” He can’t help but feel offended again, even though it seems like he’s got bigger things to worry about. “Either way, you _stole_ me. From my own home!” 

“We need your help.” It’s the first time there’s been a pleading tone like that from Jared, and it gives Jensen pause. “I wouldn’t have come for you if I didn’t have to, _believe_ me. But as you grew up and stopped believing, we started losing our magic. _We_ started growing up, and my wings…” Jared trails off, and his sadness is palpable. “None of us are who we used to be. Which means Hook and the pirates can just take over, because we can’t put up a decent resistance. It’s only a matter of time before they’re in our base.”

Jensen stays silent, because he’s not sure what to say. All of this sounds insane, but he’s afraid of insulting the man who kidnapped him by saying so. All he can hope for now is that he’s actually still dreaming. 

“Come on. We should move on. Take in the sights as we go. We need your memory back.”

Jensen stands with Jared, aiming to follow him, then looks down at himself. “Am I supposed to trek through the woods in nothing but my boxers?” 

Jared stops, looks back at him, and sighs. He expands his wings as much as he can and flutters some dust Jensen’s way, leaving Jensen with a matching pair of green tights. 

“Oh, yeah, _thanks_ , that’s perfect.”

“Don’t mention it.”

****

They pause several times, sometimes to drink from a stream, sometimes to pick fruit from the trees. Jensen can’t identify it, but it’s sweet and satisfying, if not rare. 

“We should eat these as we see them,” Jared orders. “There’s not much food around anymore. The trees are dying, and we can’t use our imaginations anymore.”

“Never knew you could,” Jensen murmurs, and Jared side-eyes him for about the millionth time on this trip. 

They come to a clearing, the woods continuing off to the left, and a dropoff to the right overlooking a vast ocean. It’s beautiful, and Jensen can’t help the “Wow” that escapes his lips, nor stop himself from walking over to look out over the ocean. The water sparkles in a way he’s never seen, and then he sees…

“Are those mermaids?” 

Jared comes up and stands next to him, sighing heavily. “Yes. They’d be devastated to know you don’t remember them. They always liked you. Everyone did. Well, except the pirates. Hook _hates_ you.” Jensen’s about to ask a whole lot more questions before Jared cuts him off. “Speaking of, we have to go.” He grabs Jensen by the arm, and Jensen just spots a ship on the horizon before he gets turned around and marched off by Jared. “We can’t let them see us. If they know you’re back, they’ll stop at nothing to find you.”

“What?” Jensen tugs his arm to get away, but Jared’s grip is strong, at least until they’re out of sight of the ship. “So, what, you brought me to a place where people will want to _kill_ me?” 

Jared rounds on him, wings red and fluttering, nostrils flaring. “We will _all_ die if you don’t stop thinking about _yourself_ and help us!” He laughs, but there’s no humor behind it. “I’ll tell you what, if you can at least just believe in us again and help us get some magic back, I will personally escort you right back to your fancy home with your model men! We just need the strength to fight this fight on our own.”

He turns and starts walking again, back into the woods, and Jensen follows him, equally angry now. “What the fuck is your problem with me, Jared? 

“My problem is you’re a _dick_ ,” Jared spits, not even slowing his pace. “Can we just not talk until we get to the base?”

****

It’s dark when they get to the base, and Jensen’s startled to see other men here. It’s a rocky area, the trees a bit more sparse, but with hammocks between them, lanterns lit from the hanging branches. 

“Boys!”

The hammocks shake and swing as the men hop out of them when they hear Jared’s call. They all stop and stare, slack-jawed, at Jensen, and Jared smiles. 

“I found him.”

“No way!” one says, breaking the silence and hesitantly coming forward, eyes focused on Jensen’s face. Jensen can’t help but notice that these men are all covered in loose shirts and baggy pants. “He’s _old_.” 

Jensen snorts, but another man steps forward before he can object. “I _told_ you, Alex! We knew he’d be grown up, that’s why we’re all old now, too.”

Jared clears his throat and points at each of the men for Jensen. “Alex, Misha, Rich, Rob, Matt, and Jason. Otherwise known as the Lost Boys. _Your_ Lost Boys.”

All six of them stand before Jensen as if they’re expecting some sort of response, some sort of recognition, and Jensen’s at a loss. “Hi,” he says lamely, and they all deflate. He feels terrible, and all he wants is for this nightmare to be over. There’s a chorus of responses from them all:

“You really don’t remember?”

“How could you grow up?”

“How could you stop believing?

“What happened to you?”

“We really missed you.”

“How could you just leave?”

“Enough!” Jared shouts, but not meanly. He looks at them all with a shared sadness. “It’s true. Misha was right. Jensen grew up, he stopped believing, and he doesn’t remember. We have to help him to remember, but we can’t do it all at once right now. It’s been a long trip here from where Jensen lives now. Let’s all get some rest and pick this back up in the morning, okay?”

They’re all disappointed but obedient, sadly turning back to their hammocks, and Jensen takes a deep breath. “Thank you,” he says to Jared, and it’s odd to be thanking him after being kidnapped, but Jensen _is_ relieved to not have the whole group staring him down still. 

“Don’t mention it.” Jared nods towards a larger hammock, one between trees that seem more regal somehow. “That one’s yours. Get some rest.”

It feels wrong somehow, to take this place of importance among this group that he apparently can’t even remember, and he hesitates. 

“It’s okay,” Jared says, sounding defeated. “We never gave it to anybody else, and nobody will object. Go on.” His wings are a dull blue and hanging low. 

“Thank you,” Jensen says again, quietly, wishing he had something better to say to cure the melancholy that’s settled over the entire camp. He lays back in the large hammock, and it swings a little before settling. He looks up at the stars through the trees, and he does feel an odd sense of comfort and familiarity as he lays there, eyes slowly closing as he succumbs to sleep.

****

When Jensen wakes up this time, he’s less surprised by his surroundings. He actually expects to be in the hammock in the woods. It scares him a little that he may be thinking of all of this as a little more real, but he may as well, while it continues. He looks around in the new sunlight and sees that everyone else is already up, hammocks empty. He gets up, stretches, and looks around, then follows the sound of voices. 

It’s only two voices, and if he remembers correctly, it’s Misha and Jared that he comes upon from behind, sitting together by a nearby stream. 

“How are _you_ doing?” Misha is asking. “It has to be tough, seeing him again.”

Jensen watches as Jared’s spine snaps straight and his wings flash red and then nearly black, his tone clipped when he speaks. “I don’t want to talk about it.” 

“I’m sorry,” Misha apologizes, and Jared’s wings fade to dull blue as he sighs.

“No, _I’m_ sorry. Thank you for asking. I’m just not ready to talk about it right now.” 

“That’s okay.” 

Jensen clears his throat to announce his presence, and the two whip around to face him, Jared’s wings going bright white. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you, I was just wondering where everybody was.”

“The others are hunting and gathering,” Jared answers, wings going back to their usual multicolor shimmer. “They have to spread out and work together to find what they can, with what’s left.”

Misha smiles sadly at him. “I’m a little less useful out there now. Recent hip injury.” He gets to his feet slowly, and seemingly painfully, proving his point. “Jared stays back with me to help defend the camp if we ever need to. Our magic is dwindling.” 

“And you think _I_ can help with that?” Jensen asks, drawing on previous conversations. 

Misha glances at Jared, who looks away, letting Misha take this on. “You used to be our leader here. You _gave_ us magic. You _were_ magic. We were just kids, and you and Jared, you were just teenagers, but you gave us the power to bring things to life and make things real with just our imaginations. You gave us the strength to fight pirates!” He’s grinning at the memories, and Jensen wishes he could share Misha’s enthusiasm, but he still doesn’t understand anything that’s happening here. Misha senses it, and his smile fades. “We really need you to remember. We need you to believe. Without you, we lose everything.”

“Wow,” Jensen chokes out after a beat, eyes downcast as he swallows and shakes his head. “That’s a lot of pressure to put on one guy, Misha.” 

“But we all _know_ you can do it.” Jensen looks back up at Misha, and damn if he doesn’t look _so_ hopeful. “You’ve done it before. We didn’t even think we would _see_ you again, and now here you are. Well, thanks to Jared.”

Jared scoffs and takes a breath to say something and then freezes, wings shockingly white again. He jumps to his feet so suddenly that Jensen and Misha both flinch. “They’re here.”

“No,” Misha breathes, going pale, and Jensen’s stomach twists. Jared’s in the air before either of them can say anything else. 

“I’ll try to reinforce the magic along our borders here, but there are a lot of them, and I don’t know if it’ll hold.” He looks down at Misha. “You get Jensen out of here, over to our backup. If they find him, they’ll kill him. I’ll find the others, and then we’ll come to you.” 

Misha nods and grabs Jensen’s arm. “Be careful,” he says, as he watches Jared fly off. Then, to Jensen, “Come on!”

Jensen expects to run, _wants_ to run after hearing he could be _killed_ , and Misha hurries as much as he can, but can’t push it too hard with his injured hip. Still, the pace is steady and direct, and Misha at least knows where they’re going. If there’s any battle behind them, Jensen’s not aware of it. Not until Misha ushers him into some well-hidden caves, and when they look back out towards the woods, they see smoke drifting up from the trees. Misha is silent, and Jensen doesn’t know these lands that well, but he can tell from the tension between them that they’re watching Misha’s home burn, and that he can’t yet share the emotion with someone who understands. 

They wait anxiously for the others to appear, and Jensen realizes that while he has yet to truly get to know these people, he can’t handle hearing that something has happened to any one of them. Not after seeing their hopeful faces last night. Not after they said they _missed_ him. 

Misha has settled along the cave wall, where he can still see out the entrance, and he’s clearly in pain, both physically and emotionally. “We grew up there,” he says finally, and he sounds wrecked. “We became a family there.” 

“I’m so sorry,” Jensen whispers, feeling hoarse, feeling useless. 

“Where are they?” Misha’s voice wavers, and Jensen wonders the same.

“They’ll be here,” he says, and he’s not sure where the confidence comes from, but it’s there. “They’re Lost Boys, they always pull through.”

There’s a pause before Misha whips his head around to look at Jensen, eyes wide. “What did you just say?”

Jensen opens his mouth to repeat it, and falters. “I… I don’t know why I just said that.” 

“You said it because you _believe_ it,” Misha says, and he stands up, this time with less difficulty. He smiles, then he laughs, loud, echoing in the cave. “You’re gonna remember, Jensen, I _know_ you will! You’re on your way there already!”

****

Jared mourns the loss of the camp, but not for long. He flies out of sight and away, searching for the rest of the Lost Boys over the usual hunting grounds. Some have already seen the fires and started heading for the caves, realizing what’s happened. He’s weak from using his magic to try to reinforce the camp’s defenses, and his wings are beginning to fail, but he’s found all but one Lost Boy, and he won’t stop until he finds Alex. 

Relief floods him when he does find Alex, and he lands beside him, panting and weary. “Go,” he says, after explaining to Alex what’s happened. “I’ll be right behind you, I promise.” 

“Are you crazy? I can’t leave you here like this, not _now_.”

Jared drops to his knees. “I just need to rest for a minute.” He looks up at Alex and tries to smile. “Just a minute. I’ll be o-”

He inhales sharply as his body jolts, not with pain, but with a sensation he hasn’t felt in a long time. His wings had gone dull, gray, and lifeless. With a bit of a spark, they began to shimmer again, spreading out a little more from his shoulders. It’s not a _big_ change, but his wings _have_ grown a little, and he nearly cries with the rush of emotion that grows with them. Above him, Alex laughs with joy. 

“He did it! Jensen’s believing again!”

****

It should be a somber moment, and there are some tears shed, but it’s more of a celebration when they all reunite at the caves that night. Jared stands leaning against a nearby wall, unable to keep up the excitement, himself. As elated as he was to feel his wings grow, to feel _believed in_ again, it doesn’t change everything that’s happened, and he’s lost it all once before. He has a hard time celebrating and thanking Jensen for this one, small step forward after everything Jensen _reversed_ and forgot about it in the first place. 

Rob and Jason start singing to commemorate the occasion, an old, silly bit they’d put together way back when, and Jared rolls his eyes, still too bitter to join in. 

But in the midst of laughing and enjoying his newfound confidence, Jensen’s voice joins in. Jared nearly stops breathing, hearing a voice he hasn’t heard in so long. More than that, Jensen’s just picked up a verse that Rob and Jason haven’t yet gotten to, from a song Jensen couldn’t previously remember. Jared gasps as he feels another jolt, his wings lengthening just a little more. Tears prick at his eyes as the Lost Boys fall silent in their own shock at Jensen carrying the tune, but they eventually all join back in, even more celebratory than before. They aren’t becoming children again, by any means, but their youthful energy is returning. 

They’ve got less than a feast, being unable to bring back much from their aborted hunt, and Jared’s _been_ worried that they’ll all go hungry soon. But then Jensen laughs and mentions a beer and a burger, talks about how delicious they both are in detail, and they suddenly both appear. 

Everything stops then, and Jensen falters, clearly wondering how the hell he just did that. 

“You’re doing it, Jensen,” Matt says in awe.

“I’m doing what?” Jensen asks shakily. 

Rob smiles at him. “Using your imagination!”

It spreads, a feast expanding before them, and Jared’s nearly crippled by another expansion of his wings, another onslaught of emotion. He can’t stop the tears now, and he rushes out of the cave before anyone else can see them. 

Jared gulps in the night air, trying to catch his breath, to calm himself. He sobs and shivers, arms wrapped around himself as he tries to regain control. This is what he wanted, obviously. It’s the whole reason he wandered off to find Jensen. But he never said it would be easy to deal with, and now, in the moment, it’s too much. 

“Jared?”

He’s not even sure what color his wings just flashed at the sound of Jensen’s voice behind him, but while he’s always loved his wings, he’s also always hated that they give away every emotion he feels. “Please, just leave me alone,” he says, voice quaking as he shivers. He can hear the Lost Boys still singing and carrying on in the caves, which means Jensen just broke away on his own. He doesn’t want to be alone with Jensen, not now.

“Jared, what’s wrong?” Jared doesn’t answer, just tenses as he feels Jensen move closer. “Your wings…”

“Yeah,” Jared says, cutting him off. “About a quarter of the size they used to be, but vast improvement. Thanks, I guess.”

“Is there anything I ca-”

“ _No_ .” The word is forcefully bitten off, and he’s nearly panicking in Jensen’s presence now. “ _Please_ , I just need a moment alone, I can’t do this right now.”

Silence. An audible step back. “I just want to be sure you’ll be okay. After today…”

“I will,” Jared says, quieter, more reassuring. “I won’t go far, I’ll just stay right here.”

He listens as Jensen rejoins the group in the caves and drops down onto the grass outside of the cave, breathing deeply until he calms down and the shaking stops. He waits for the group to grow quiet and fall asleep before returning, settling in with his family.

****

Jensen gives Jared his space the next day, as everyone does, though the only tension is between the two of them, specifically. The Lost Boys all seem to understand what Jared is going through somehow, and the comfort between them doesn’t change. 

“Do you think we’ll be able to fight soon?” Jensen hears Rich ask Jared, and Jared nods. 

“I sure hope so. So much changed just overnight. I know how much more magic _I_ feel in me.” He grins at Rich. “And you all _made breakfast_.” 

It’s true. They’ve all enjoyed just about every breakfast food they could conjure this morning, and Jensen’s not sure he ever remembers eating so much, being a model back home. 

He finds that they’ve stashed some supplies in a neighboring cave, expecting to use this area as backup when their original camp failed. Those supplies include weapons, both real and wooden, for practice. The Lost Boys all seem to have been former experts in archery and swordsmanship, magic helping to enhance their skills and accuracy. Jensen starts off a bit behind, bested by all of them in practice initially, but he improves little by little as they move through the day. It’s another thing that starts to gradually feel familiar to him. 

It’s during a training break that Jared calls him away, and he goes willingly, eager to fix whatever’s happened between them. The truth is, while things have been rocky between them since Jared showed up at his home, Jensen can’t help but _like_ Jared. And seeing Jared so upset last night was difficult. He felt drawn to Jared in some way. 

“You don’t have to train, you know,” Jared says, when they’re out of earshot of the Lost Boys. “I meant what I said before, I can take you home once we feel we have enough power. I don’t expect you to fight with us.” 

Jensen doesn’t answer at first. He looks back at the Lost Boys, then back at Jared, a little stunned by the thought of leaving them all. Still, he does miss _reality_. “What else can I do to help?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Come with me.” 

Jared leads him away from the caves. There’s a large, gnarled tree nearby, once you would normally pass without looking very closely. But Jared pushes aside an old fallen limb and reveals an entrance into a space larger than Jensen would have ever imagined. 

It’s hollowed out inside, but seems _lived in_ , spaces carved out into cubbies, benches, areas to lie down. Cracks in the bark above still let some light in, and there’s an old blanket, an old feathered cap, and other odds and ends strewn about. Jensen breathes it in, and it’s nostalgia and youth at once, and it feels like _home_. 

“This place…” He walks around it a bit, mentally noting that it seems smaller now that they’re grown up… But where did _that_ thought come from? His eyes catch something on the “bed” near an old blanket, and he gasps, feeling a deep pang in his chest as he lifts it in his hands. “My bear,” he whispers, staring at the old brown teddy bear with one missing eye. 

“I kept it here,” Jared murmurs quietly behind him. “I kept everything here.”

Jensen closes his eyes, blocking out emotion for the moment and just talking through the memories, gripping the soft bear in his hands. “I was an orphan. I was a teenager, too old to have a teddy bear, but it was the only thing I ever managed to keep with me every time I changed homes. It was the only thing I had from before I can remember. My last home, I wished I could either be grown up already or be somewhere else. Somewhere magical, where I’d really matter to someone.”

“You wished on a star,” Jared supplies. “Second star to the right. You wished yourself here.”

“When I first came here, I thought I’d lost my bear. I cried.” He swallows over a lump in his throat. “I cried over a stupid bear.” He opens his eyes and turns back to Jared. “You went and found it and brought it back to me.” Jared averts his eyes, wings glowing dull blue, and Jensen’s heart suddenly floods with love for him. “I remember you,” he says, voice breaking. “I believe in you.”

He hovers off the ground of his own accord and watches Jared shudder, watches Jared’s wings grow and flash through muddled colors before settling on a stormy gray. “You left,” Jared hisses, then, as more of a sob, “You _left_.” 

Jensen’s feet settle back down, and he feels the guilt, the hurt that he caused. He’d _loved_ Jared, he remembers that now. They were inseparable, in love, a couple. 

“You made us all so powerful. _You_ were so powerful. You beat back the pirates, and you were the hero, and there was nothing you couldn’t do. And then you got curious. What about _beyond_ Neverland? What else was out there? What else could you conquer? You couldn’t just be happy. Nothing was ever enough for you. Not even _me_ .” Jared’s wings cycle through gray, dull blue, and red. “You said you would come back. You said you just wanted to _look_ , and you would be back, that you would never really leave us. But you left us. You left _me_. You left, and you forgot. You stopped believing in us, and you grew up.”

There’s nothing Jensen can say to fix this moment. It’s true. All of it is true. He had great power, and he didn’t take the responsibility of it, of the _family_ he built here. Instead, he flitted off in search of something else, because nothing ever _was_ enough for him, not even in the second home he’d created for himself. He had to be _more_ famous, party _harder_ , he couldn’t just be a national sensation, he had to be a _global_ one. He’d let his ego get the best of him, he’d thought only of himself, and the people he cared about the most had suffered for it. 

He steps towards Jared, reaches a hand out towards Jared’s wing. “Jare-”

Jared flinches violently backward before Jensen can touch his wing, a violation of personal space that goes too far, and Jensen apologetically takes a step back as well. “Don’t,” Jared breathes. “I needed you to remember and believe. We _all_ needed that. But I can’t do this again. I can’t believe in _you_ , Jensen.” It hurts, but it’s fair, and Jensen knows it. “I mean, be serious, are you really gonna _stay_ this time, with everything you have back home?”

Jensen opens his mouth to protest, to say that he _will_ stay, but he hesitates. He remembers satin sheets and flashing cameras, and he has to ask himself if he really has learned his lesson? He wants to be sure before he answers, before he makes another promise he doesn’t keep, but his hesitation is answer enough for Jared.

“That’s what I thought,” Jared says, and heads for the entrance. He pauses before leaving, calling back over his shoulder, “You know, if you can fly on your own now, you don’t need me to take you back home. You’ll know the way now.” 

****

Jensen doesn’t follow Jared, and Jared doesn’t wait for him. He shakes his head and takes off, flying back to the caves, enjoying the stretch of his wings and needing that feeling of freedom, even if it did come from Jensen. 

“Where’s Jensen?” Rob asks as soon as Jared lands, and Jared shrugs. 

“I flew. He walked.” 

All of the Lost Boys stop what they’re doing, whether it’s eating, drinking, or training and stare at him. Jared lifts his chin and spreads his wings. They’re still not their original size, but they’re close enough. 

“We don’t need Jensen anymore. He gave us what we needed, and he’ll be going back home.” He tries not to react to their disappointment, their sadness, all of their bodies noticeably drooping. “We’re enough without him. We’re powerful again.”

Alex lowers the wooden sword he’d been using against Misha. “You think we can beat the pirates?”

Jared smiles and nods. “I do. We did it before. Now that we have our magic back, we can do it again. We can save Neverland.” He notices smoke off in the distance again and knows it’s undoubtedly another group of innocent people losing their homes, and likely their lives, to Hook and the pirates. His eyes narrow, and his wings go a deep maroon, ready for battle. “Sooner rather than later.”

****

They spend the night at the caves, and Jensen never returns. Jared sighs and tries to remind himself to not be heartbroken again. Jensen must have taken the invitation to return home. All Jared can do is take some satisfaction in the fact that Jensen got to watch _him_ leave before, well, _leaving_. 

The mood in the caves and outside is somber, but determined. Jared watches with pride as the Boys fly and breeze through training, both archery and fencing. They’re pretty good in hand-to-hand, too, as Jared practices with all of them himself. He’s surprised to realize the fact that they all grew up is kind of an advantage - they’ve all got more muscle, more force. He can’t help thinking that the pirates don’t stand a chance now, if they managed to defeat them as _kids_. 

Jared flies above Neverland, scouting, and spots Hook’s ship in the mermaids’ cove again, this time anchored at shore. 

“We’ll take the fight to them,” Jared says when he returns to the caves. “We’ll surprise them. The most they may have seen lately is some of the forests coming back to better health. They have no idea that we’re as strong as we are again.” He grins. “They’ll never expect us to show up and destroy them.”

“Who takes on Hook?” Jason asks, and Jared shrugs. 

“Whoever gets to him first, if you’re ready and willing. Every one of us is just as capable as the other.” He rejects the notion that he can _claim_ Hook the way Jensen always did, back in the day. Everybody knew the real fight was between the two of them, and nobody challenged it. Jared may be leading the Boys in Jensen’s stead, but he still doesn’t feel that much more important than the others. 

Rob looks around at the group and smiles. “Let’s do this.”

Their confidence isn’t unfounded. From the moment Jared lands mid-ship with a much fuller wingspan than he’s had in years and an even larger grin and says, “Hello, boys,” the fight is theirs. It’s almost too easy, and Jared is laughing through most of it, watching Misha disarm one pirate, Alex roll one off of the plank to splash into the water and swim to shore, Rich and Rob fighting multiple pirates off back-to-back until they’ve all surrendered, Jason wrestle another into submission. It goes on until they’re all overboard or surrendered, not one stubborn pirate left. Though they haven’t found…

There’s a hook around Jared’s throat before he can react, and he curses himself for not being more in tune with his magic, with his surroundings. He’s pulled against Hook, who’s standing behind him, the point of a sword pressing into his side. It’s uncomfortable, having someone pressed up against his wings, which are sensitive to touch, the reason he keeps them out of range, and they go dark black and shake, wanting to get away. It makes him grit his teeth, makes his whole body tense, and it’s _almost_ painful. He both hears and sees the gasps of the Boys who move to help him, but freeze when Hook holds him tighter, Jared straining to breathe, the pressure of the sword point feeling a little more threatening. Still, he laughs, playing it cool. 

“You’ve already lost, Hook,” he says, because it’s true. There are no pirates left to back him up, and whatever Hook does to Jared, the Boys can make quick work of him, just like they did his entire crew. “Look around. We’ve got you bested. It’s time to surrender.”

“I know when I’ve lost,” Hook replies casually, graciously admitting defeat. “You’re right about that. But I don’t take it as official until Jensen has the courage to face me again. He’s got to be around here somewhere, or you wouldn’t be as powerful as you are now.” He twists the sword, and Jared grimaces, feeling the skin break just a _little_ , a feeling he can tolerate, but not for long, with how much his wings are itching to escape this hold. “He’ll come out of hiding for you.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Jared says, straining, and he only hopes that Hook believes him. “He grew up. That’s why we’re all older now. He doesn’t care about us anymore. He already left to go back home.” He swallows against the hook, wishing his next words weren’t true. “He’s not coming back for me.”

In one swift movement, Hook pushes Jared forward, down onto the deck, shoves his foot into the small of Jared’s back, the point of his sword between Jared’s shoulder blades, between his wings. Jared hits the deck with some force, the air temporarily knocked out of him, hands trying to catch himself and ending up pinned between his body and the wood of the ship. He can sense the Lost Boys moving and freezing once more, still not willing to make a move that could get Jared killed, and even in this moment, he focuses on how grateful he is for the loyal family he has here. With his cheek to the wood, he can see his wings, watches them fade into a pale pink, letting them all know he loves them, no matter what happens. 

“We’ll see about that,” Hook says, and the pressure of the sword lightens from him simply balancing it in his hook as he leans over, leans down closer to Jared. “I think you’re lying. I think he’d come flying to the rescue if he heard you scream. And even if you’re _not_ lying, this could be fun. Like tearing the wings off an insect.”

Hook’s hand meanly grips Jared’s left wing and pulls, _hard_ , intending to tear it away, and Jared immediately screams and squirms, tears slipping down his cheeks. He’d like to be strong enough to hold it in, to not give Hook the satisfaction, but he _can’t_ , it’s too much. The pain is too extreme, too much of a shock, wings flickering between black and deep blood-red, and his nails scrape against the wood beneath him. Beyond the pain, there’s _fear_ and dismay. He’d rather die than lose his wings completely. All of Neverland needed Jensen to believe, but he’d be lying if he didn’t say he selfishly went to find Jensen just to get his wings back. He dealt with the temporary loss of size and strength that could be regained with a little bit of faith, but he doesn’t think he can survive his wings being permanently, brutally ripped away from his body. Hook lets up and then yanks _harder_ , almost enough for the wing to start pulling away, and Jared cries out and nearly starts begging. 

“LET HIM GO!”

Jared honestly doesn’t even hear it the first time, not over the roar in his ears, his own frantic thoughts, and the pain coursing through his body. But Hook lets go completely, and as Jared tries to collect himself, chest heaving, the voice breaks through.

“HOOK! Let him go.”

“Jensen?” Jared whispers, still down on the deck, Hook’s sword between his shoulders.

“Jensen!” Hook laughs joyously, taking the sword back in his hand and twisting the point against Jared’s skin. “How nice of you to join us. Jared told me you’d already left.”

“I’m here now,” Jensen says, and Jared closes his eyes, just listening to the sound of Jensen’s voice. He feels exhausted, still reeling through waves of pain, though less intense, wings still shaking. “And I’m the one you want. This is between you and me. I already told you twice. Let him go.”

Hook chuckles. “Third time’s the charm, eh? You know, I’m so close. What if I just…” He presses down a little harder on the sword, and Jared doesn’t have to utter any protest. He hears the sound of Jensen unsheathing a sword in that split-second and pictures it already at Hook’s throat.

“You’d be dead before you did,” Jensen growls, and Jared’s heart soars. He opens his eyes, catches a glimpse of his sore wing, still largely black, but parts tinged with pale pink. Jensen came back, and Jensen’s defending him. That threatening tone in Jensen’s voice means loyalty, means possession. 

“Why don’t you just kill me right now?” Hook asks, and Jared can hear the smirk in Jensen’s voice when he speaks next.

“Wouldn’t that be bad form? I thought you’d want a proper fight.”

“I do, indeed.”

Hook steps off of Jared, foot and sword-point gone, and the Lost Boys rush forward to support him, careful to only grab his limbs and not his wings, helping him to move away, further down the deck. They speak to him in hushed whispers as they help him to settle against the side of the ship:

“I’m _so_ sorry, Jared.”

“We should have seen him coming.”

“We should have known he was there.”

“I wish we could have stopped him.”

“Is your wing okay?”

“Thought we might lose you.”

“You’ll never lose me,” Jared says, still wincing in pain. “And it’s nobody’s fault. I don’t blame any of you. I should have sensed him there, too. Mistakes happen.” He reaches back to _gently_ touch his own wing and hisses. But he can still move it and can still feel that it’s intact. “It’ll be sore for a while, but it’s okay.”

They turn and watch as Jensen and Hook face off, swords drawn. Hook the picture of a pirate, red coat, belt boots, hat, long black hair and beard, and Jensen, having apparently raided the caves for a spare shirt and boots to pair with the tights Jared left him with. But the fierce determination in Jensen’s expression is undeniable, and it’s just as Jared remembers from the first time they defeated Hook. He can’t help but feel proud, wings gradually changing to a mix of pale pink and gold. 

Just as with the Lost Boys, there’s nothing to worry about, and Jared knows it. He’s seen that look in Jensen’s eyes before, heard that tone in Jensen’s voice, and it’s familiar and comforting, even as he watches Jensen battle his nemesis. They parry for just a moment before Jensen slips back into his old tricks, flying, spinning, catching Hook off guard and off balance. Hook is capable and still recovers and holds his own for longer than most would, but Jensen eventually knocks him back to the ground, sword held to Hook’s throat yet again. 

Hook drops his sword and holds up his hand, and Jared knows it’s over. If nothing else, Hook has at least always been a gracious loser. If only he could just stop destroying worlds and killing people…

“Bested again,” Hook says, without malice, just respecting a worthy opponent. But he cocks his head, still smirking slyly. “Is this the day you finally kill me?”

That’s where Jared worries. On the one hand, nobody could blame Jensen, or anyone, for that matter, for executing Hook. But Jensen has never been a murderer. He kept the peace before just by wielding so much power and leading Jared and the Lost Boys. But with the changes in Jensen’s ego and attitude, would he stick to that same standard? It’s already been a rough ride getting Jensen back. While Hook is deserving of just about every death imaginable, Jared’s not sure he can look at Jensen the same way ever again if he watches Jensen willfully slit Hook’s throat right here and now. It’s a line they’ve never crossed. 

Jensen lowers his sword, and Jared breathes a sigh of relief. Hook looks up at him, clearly waiting for Jensen’s sentence. Jensen turns to survey the crowd. “All pirates on deck,” he orders, and they all obey, even the dripping wet pirate who’s been rolled off the ship by Alex. He considers them all for a moment, glancing between them and Hook. “You’re exiled. You never leave this ship, and you never come ashore again. Lost Boys, collect their weapons and toss them back on shore.” The Boys scour both the pirates and the ship, and Jensen himself grabs Hook’s sword and tosses it overboard. “You won’t hurt anyone again. You’ll live on fish and whatever else you can scrounge up with your nets, away from this cove. No harm to the mermaids. Jared, when you’ve recovered,” he pauses, and Jared sees Jensen’s jaw clench, knows Jensen’s tempted to run Hook through for just a split-second, “We set up a perimeter here just like we did around our camp.”

“Of course,” Jared says, slowly getting to his feet. His wing still throbs, and he’s a bit unsteady, Misha and Alex returning to his side to help support him if he needs it. At Jensen’s nod, they help Jared down off of the ship and onto the sandy shore, the other Boys following. 

“You leave now,” Jensen says to Hook, hovering above the ship. “Weigh anchor.” 

They stay that way, the group on shore and Jensen in the air, watching as the ship leaves the cove and heads out for the horizon. Eventually, Jensen lands among them, and he and Jared both avoid direct contact and communication for the moment. Jared’s glad, because he would also rather have this moment with Jensen in private. 

“Until Jared and I can both cover the coasts, let’s keep watch and make sure that ship doesn’t come back. Rich, Rob, you’re first up.” They nod at Jensen, and he looks back at the rest of the group. “Let’s head back to the caves.”

****

Getting back to the caves, Jensen slowly starts to hang back. Jared doesn’t notice it at first, but soon he looks around, wondering where Jensen is, and that’s when they finally make direct eye contact. Jensen stops walking and slowly steps in the direction of the tree, _their_ tree, and Jared looks back, watching Misha, Alex, and Jason continue on towards the caves before turning and following Jensen. 

“Are you okay?” Jensen immediately whirls around and asks him as soon as they’re inside the tree, and while his voice is low, it’s still shaky and tinged with hysteria. His eyes are wide and shining, lip just slightly trembling, and Jared’s heart breaks. His wings go deep blue, and he can’t find his voice for a moment, suddenly winded by this knee-jerk reaction to Jensen’s upset and feeling the strength of that old connection he’d missed for so long. 

“I’m okay,” he says softly, not trusting himself to speak louder. 

“I’m _sorry_ ,” Jensen says, and visibly holds back a sob as he starts to move towards Jared and reach out, but immediately stops and pulls back - physically fighting the urge to violate Jared’s personal boundaries again. He looks away, blinking as he tries to keep his composure. “I should have come back sooner. I took some time to think about it, and I shouldn’t have even needed to, it was stupid of me, I was so _stupid_. What he did to you…”

There’s a growl in Jensen’s tone now, his shoulders are tense, fists clenching, and Jared can feel the _fury_ coming off of him in waves. It’s a wonder he could keep it in check, defeating Hook. “I’m okay,” Jared repeats, not knowing what else to say.

“You never deserved that pain.” Jensen swipes at a tear and sniffs. “You never deserved _any_ pain, including what I caused.” Before Jared can respond, Jensen looks back up at him. “Are you still in pain?” 

He is, he can still feel his wing joint throbbing, but he’s not sure how bad it is, now. He tests moving his left shoulder and feels an uncomfortable twinge, then moves the wing itself and winces. “Yes.”

Jensen hesitates. “Can I help?” He has his own magic back now, and he could potentially use it to ease the pain. But that would mean…

“I thought you were going home,” Jared says, partly changing the subject, but partly needing more of an answer before letting Jensen in. 

Jensen laughs a little, even as another tear slips down his cheek. He raises his arms and looks around the inside of the tree before looking back at Jared. “I _am_ home.” 

Deep blue starts giving way to pale pink, and Jared’s breath catches. “Do you really mean that?”

“I never should have left in the first place,” Jensen says, without hesitation. “I don’t need that other life. I never had anything real with anybody there. Not like I do here. It isn’t worth it. Nothing could ever be worth forgetting this home, this family, and most of all, _you_. I don’t want it.” His arms flop down by his sides. “You were right about me. Every word. I was a dick. I was selfish. It shouldn’t have taken this to get me to realize just how much you and the Boys and Neverland mean to me, but it did, and I will regret that for the rest of my life. This is enough for me. More than enough.” 

Jared holds back his own tears as the pale pink glow fills the room. Once again, he hates his wings for giving him away. “I guess you can see that I still love you.”

“Like family,” Jensen answers, smiling a little, and he isn’t wrong. He showed that same pale pink to the Lost Boys. It’s not the color Jensen used to see, back before he left. “I don’t expect anything from you, Jared.”

Jared’s tense, keeping his true feelings at bay still, and he knows that once he lets Jensen in closer, he’s done for. “You’re really staying? Forever?”

“Forever.” Jensen nods, agreeing. “No matter what.” _Even if you don’t forgive me_ are the unspoken words, and Jared knows he’ll eventually fall. Maybe there’s no point in fighting anymore.

“Help me,” Jared murmurs, averting his eyes. Jensen still hesitates, and Jared almost expects to be asked to repeat himself. But then Jensen takes a tentative step forward, moving in slowly. He stands close, and Jared can’t look at him, not yet, the tension thick between them. Jensen’s hand rises slowly towards Jared’s pained wing. He pauses just before touching it. 

“You tell me if I should stop,” Jensen whispers and waits another moment before gently touching the tips of his fingers to Jared’s wing. 

The touch is just barely there, but the magic surges in, and Jared gasps, reaching out and holding onto Jensen for support. Jensen was the only person Jared had ever allowed to touch his wings before, part of their own private connection, and Jensen gives him more than just a pain reliever. Jared doesn’t even think it’s on purpose, with the way Jensen also gasps, shocked by that familiar link between them, and everything pours out, his sadness, his regret, his _love_. 

Jared’s wings grow to their original size at once, the size that fits him best, that he’d had before Jensen had left, and they shine in a blazing violet, unmistakably Jensen’s color. 

Jensen breaks the connection, pulling his hand away from Jared’s wing, Jared still holding on to him as they both try to catch their breath, Jared’s pulse pounding in his ears. His forehead is dropped on Jensen’s shoulder, and he can _feel_ Jensen breathing, feel his warmth, and it really does feel like _home_. 

He lifts his head, slowly, and he’s face to face with Jensen, close. He can sense Jensen thinking about breaking this silence by asking again if he’s okay, then deciding against it, because it’s obvious. Everything about what he’s feeling is obvious. The distance closes between them, their lips pressing together, and it’s all Jared’s wanted for so long. He grips Jensen harder, and Jensen parts his lips, opening up for him, hand slipping into Jared’s hair, and Jared _moans_.

Jensen manages to break them apart, hands moving to settle gently on Jared’s shoulders. “You should rest. After what you’ve been through…”

Jared shakes his head. “I feel better now. And I think I’ve waited long enough.”

It’s not accusatory when he says it. If anything, it’s just impatient. But Jensen pauses. “Did you ever… Were you ever with anybody else?”

The question hangs there, and Jared doesn’t know what to say at first. Because he remembers where he found Jensen, with this other life in this other world, with plenty of people who adored him. And with the way Jensen himself had acted, Jared can only assume that he’d had plenty of other partners besides Jared. 

If any green shows up in his wings, it isn’t there for long. As much as Jared hates the thought of Jensen being with anybody else, he knows what he felt in Jensen’s touch, _and_ Jensen made the decision to turn his back on that other world and stay here with Jared. He called Jared his _home_. 

“No,” Jared answers honestly. “I waited. I thought you were coming back.” He knows the guilt Jensen feels about that, and he’s glad that his wings stay violet, with no sign of anger. He’s moving past what happened, and he knows that’s visible to Jensen. But he shifts on his feet, and he still has to ask. “You were with other people?”

“I was,” Jensen says, his tone giving away that it was nothing special, and Jared has to admit, that makes him feel better. “But being there for too long, it does something to your mind. Obviously.” He scoffs a little and shakes his head. “I’d forgotten about what we had. And now it makes so much sense to me. I had _fun_ , but I could never find something that felt _real_ . Nothing ever felt like this, with you.” Jared’s wings shimmer and glow a little brighter, showing off, in their own way, and Jensen laughs. “Okay, _pride_. I should have known better than to stroke your ego.”

Jared grins, and he doesn’t even care if it makes him look smug. “How many people were you with?” he asks, and Jensen laughs again, clearly knowing what Jared’s getting at. “How many people couldn’t compare to me? How many people weren’t even _close_?” 

“I don’t know,” Jensen answers, still chuckling and pressing a quick kiss to Jared’s lips. “I was a bit of a slut. But _none_ of them were close.” His expression turns to concern. “You really should get some rest.”

Jared sighs, resting their foreheads together. “I told you, I don’t want rest. I mean, I _do_ , but not now.” Part of him feels guilty, that if he feels well enough to stay up with Jensen, maybe they should be flying along the coast to fortify it against the pirates coming back. But as much as the pain is gone and he’s impatient to reconnect, he knows he can’t fly that much yet. He lifts his head and grins mischievously. “Do you remember our stash?”

Jensen pauses for a moment, and then his eyes light up, just before he rolls them. “Oh my _God_ , do you still have that in here?” 

“I told you I kept _everything_ here,” Jared says, watching as Jensen moves off to where there’s a dirt patch just beneath one of the beds, kneeling down to scoop away the superficial top layer and pull out a wooden box.

“Oh my God,” Jensen repeats, sitting on the floor and laughing. He opens the box and lifts up some of the _herbs_ they’d kept on hand, some rolled, some not, small sticks and flint also inside the box. Jared then hears the clink of bottles before Jensen lifts one up, a bit of a flush showing across his cheeks as he eyes the clear liquid inside. “Everything in here still looks...good.”

“We don’t have magic for nothing.” Jared shrugs and moves closer, standing over Jensen. “You remember. Everything in that box stays fresh.” The oil in those bottles is slick and warm, and the sight of it reminds him of just how good it felt, even after so many years. 

Jensen closes the box with one hand, still holding the bottle in the other. He puts the box back, brushes the dirt back over it, and sets the bottle down beside him, turning to Jared. Jared’s heart pounds in his chest, and he can’t hide the fact that he’s hard. He wouldn’t want to. Jensen moves up onto his knees, hands resting on Jared’s hips, and _this_ is what Jared wants, Jensen’s fingertips slipping beneath the band of his tights. 

“I’m so sorry I left,” Jensen whispers, looking up at Jared with dark eyes, face still flushed, and Jared reaches down to cup Jensen’s jaw, brush his thumb over Jensen’s cheekbone.

“Make it up to me.”

Jensen’s eyes stay locked with Jared’s as he leans forward and mouths Jared through the fabric of his tights. Jared gasps, and his eyelids flutter, but he keeps looking at Jensen, hand moving through Jensen’s hair to gently cup the back of Jensen’s head. The tip of Jensen’s tongue slides up over the bulge in Jared’s tights before he finally pulls the material down. His tongue trails up the underside of Jared’s shaft before his lips close over the head, and Jared closes his eyes and moans, focusing on the sensations, Jensen’s warm, wet mouth moving up and down the length of his dick, his tongue stroking along with the motions, his hands gripping Jared’s hips, and his hair soft between Jared’s fingers. 

He lets Jensen pull off for a moment, opening his eyes while Jensen pulls his tights further down, lifting his feet so they can be pulled off completely. He watches as Jensen retrieves the bottle from the floor and coats his fingers, and his dick twitches, precome spilling from the slit. His pulse races, the brightness of his wings pulsing along with it. When Jensen turns back to him, he smiles, taking in the pulsing glow, the wetness of Jared’s dick.

“Someone’s eager,” Jensen says, and before Jared can respond, Jensen’s licking at his precome and taking him back in his mouth, moaning at the taste, and Jared loses his breath, fingers back in Jensen’s hair. To his credit, Jensen’s not making him wait any longer, slipping his hand back between Jared’s legs, the tip of his slick finger slipping along the rim of Jared’s hole as he keeps moving lower on Jared’s shaft, taking more of him in. 

Jensen’s finger pushes in, presses just where it needs to, like he never left, like it hasn’t been so many years since they’ve done this. Jared jolts and moans, head thrown back as Jensen fingers and sucks him, second finger pushing in soon after, and Jared spreads his legs more, chest heaving. His fingers twist a little in Jensen’s hair, and Jensen groans, third finger spreading Jared open, and Jared’s mouth falls open, fingers twisting tighter, muscles tensing.

“ _Stop_ ,” Jared sputters, and Jensen pulls off, fingers dragging down and pulling out, making Jared gasp and grip the base of his dick, trying to get his breath back. Jensen moves out of reach, almost frantically stripping, taking more oil from the bottle beside him and slicking up his dick. Jared joins him on the floor, first grabbing Jensen’s face and pulling him in for a kiss, Jensen responding immediately, tongues moving against each other, Jared tasting himself there. 

He pulls away and turns, dropping to all fours, Jensen close behind him, head of his dick already pressing against Jared’s hole. Jared moans on hitching breaths as Jensen pushes forward, feeling thick and hot, new and familiar all at once, Jared’s fingers scraping along the ground as his heart swells with how much he missed this, how much he missed _Jensen_ , who’s now pressed deep inside of him, waiting, allowing him to adjust, lips kissing up along Jared’s spine, just between his wings, warm breath on the back of Jared’s neck. 

Jared pushes back and clenches, rolling his hips beneath Jensen, and Jensen groans, pulling back and thrusting, hard, harder, desperate noises falling from his lips, Jared matching him each time, feeling hot all over, tense and _tight_ and _needing_ to come. He can’t control the flutters of his wings, how they brush against Jensen’s body, more sensation flowing through him, Jensen’s hands traveling beneath him, teasing his nipples before moving lower. One hand moves back up to Jared’s hip, the other wraps around Jared’s dick, stroking along with his thrusts, and Jared arches and pushes back harder, taking Jensen in deeper. He’s so fucking _close_ , he can feel it, balls feeling tight, Jensen thrusting just right over that sweet spot, his hand moving up from Jared’s hip to Jared’s shoulder, fingers then slowly, gently gliding over Jared’s wing. 

That touch drives a new pulse through Jared’s body, not just the sensitivity of his wings, but what Jensen gives him through it, lust, love, and _need_ , the power of what it all feels like for _Jensen_ , being so deep inside of him, and Jared comes, the glow of his wings going bright, his body jerking, clenching around Jensen, moaning and whimpering helplessly as Jensen works him through his orgasm. 

He’s flooded with relief when it’s over, loose and euphoric, barely able to hold himself up, but Jensen’s still hard and thick inside of him, tense and close, Jared can tell. 

“Jared…” Jensen’s voice is wrecked and pleading, but it’s his request for permission; asking if he should hold back and pull out. 

“Come,” Jared breathes, hair hanging in his face. He manages to lift his head and look back at Jensen. “Come.”

It’s only a couple more thrusts, and Jared shakes, sensitive to it all now, but it’s worth the groan and sharp cry as Jensen shoves in deep and comes hard, balls pressed up against Jared until Jensen’s satisfied and just as boneless, beginning to soften inside him as he pulls out, leaving Jared feeling suddenly empty. 

Jensen rolls off to the side, Jared following, away from the mess of come he left on the floor. He settles half on top of Jensen, head on Jensen’s chest, feeling his breath and pulse get back to normal. 

“We didn’t even make it to the bed,” Jensen says eventually, chuckling beneath him. He lifts and leans enough to kiss the top of Jared’s head, then collapses back to the floor. “Nobody feels like you do. Not even close.”

Jared smiles against him, eyes already closed, the sound of Jensen’s heartbeat already lulling him to sleep. 

****

Covering the coasts is satisfying, not a pirate in sight. Jensen hovers over Neverland, his side of the magic barrier in place, taking it all in. He can see Jared in the distance, wings shining in the sun, fairy dust falling down over his part of the coast, securing it against their enemies. It seems ludicrous now that he ever left this behind. It’s a beautiful home, a _magical_ home, and _he_ gets to keep it safe and secure with a partner, a family. 

Jared flies to him, wings going from a neutral, happy pale yellow to violet as soon as he gets closer and kisses him, the two of them lost in each other in midair. It feels surreal for a moment, to be suspended above the earth, wrapped up in Jared, the sound of his wings fluttering somehow the thing that warms Jensen’s heart. He missed that sound.

“I missed that sound,” Jensen says, pulling away, and Jared cocks his head in confusion. “I didn’t even realize it. But the sound of your wings… It makes me feel safe. Loved.”

Jared smiles at him. “You are.”

“Yeah, but you don’t understand,” Jensen continues, shaking his head. “You were the first person in my life I ever felt really cared about me. It’s like when I hear that sound, I know I’m okay. And I belong.” He takes Jared’s hands and starts lowering to the ground, Jared following suit, until they’re standing again. “I don’t know how I ever could have lost sight of that.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Jared says, shrugging, and Jensen begins to object before Jared cuts him off. “What matters is that you have it _now_ .” He kisses Jensen’s forehead. “I remember you saying you’d regret leaving for the rest of your life. But I don’t want you to. I want you to be _happy_ . I want you to live here, _now_ , and not be thinking about some other time or place. That’s _how_ this happened before. I just want you to _be_ with me.”

Jensen looks him straight in the eye, squeezes his hands, committing to this right here and now. “I will.” 

It’s a short statement, but he can see in Jared that it’s all he has to say, and he’s never felt more sure of something in his life. 

They go back to the caves, back _home_ , and the Lost Boys do what they’ve been doing for the past couple of days, going oddly quiet around them and throwing quick glances their way. It’s been going on long enough, and Jensen rolls his eyes and holds his hands up. 

“ _What?!_ ” 

A jolt goes through each of the Boys, and they now go completely silent, awkwardly looking at each other and back at Jensen.

“So…” Rob starts, “Are you two...back together?”

Rich scoffs. “Did you not _hear_ them the other night?” At that, Jensen flushes and ducks his head, rubbing at the back of his neck, which also feels hot.

“Everyone heard them,” Matt says, and Jensen can’t look at any of them directly anymore. “But is it...back to normal?”

“Is it a fling?” Jason asks, leaning forward. “Did you just have to get it out of your system?”

“Or are you leaving again?” Misha asks, getting to the point. 

Jensen can feel Misha’s eyes on him, feels the sting of his words. He looks up and sees Alex also staring at them both, hopeful. It’s then that he realizes he still hasn’t apologized to the rest of the family he abandoned, and they’re past the honeymoon phase. Now that the excitement of his return and the battle is gone, they’re not sure they can trust that he won’t get bored here again. They’ve also seen him stand Jared up before. 

“We are back together and back to normal,” he says, standing up straighter and looking at all of them, making sure they all see the confidence and reassurance in him. He feels Jared’s supporting presence beside him. “I’m not leaving again. I never meant to forget you.” Emotion creeps up again in that moment, surprising him, and he sees Misha’s expression soften. “I really never planned on or wanted that. Something happens when you leave this place for too long. It’s like _it_ leaves _you_ . And I still missed it, I still missed _all_ of you, I just didn’t _know_ what I was missing. It was like there was this hole in my life that I couldn’t figure it out. And now that I have all of this and all of you back, there’s _no_ way I’m leaving it again.” He takes a deep breath and hopes he sounds as sincere as he feels. “I am _so_ sorry that I left you before.”

There’s a short beat before the Boys break into grins and shouts and come forward to hug him and lift him off the ground, and Jensen feels young and light again, laughing through it all. Jared eventually pulls him out of their grasp and kisses him, the two of them surrounded by applause and cheers. In the middle of it all, Jensen catches one of them saying, “But seriously, have quieter sex,” and he and Jared laugh against each other, warm and happy. 

This is the moment and the feeling Jensen will carry with him for the rest of his life. 


End file.
